Risk for Pregnancy Loss Increased With Employment During Pregnancy

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The risk for pregnancy loss is increased with employment during pregnancy and for several occupational types, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the Journal of Occupational Health.

Chae-Bong Kim, from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, and colleagues analyzed 1,825,845 employed and nonemployed women with a diagnostic code for pregnancy in the National Health Insurance Service database of South Korea to examine the association between maternal occupational status and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Risk ratios were calculated for early abortive outcomes, stillbirth, and no live birth (diagnoses of pregnancy with no record of live birth, which includes early abortive outcomes and stillbirth).

The researchers found that 18.0, 0.7, and 39.8 percent of pregnancies ended in early abortive outcomes, stillbirths, and no live birth, respectively. Higher risks for early abortive outcomes and stillbirths were seen for nonemployed versus employed women, while employed women more frequently had no live births. The highest risk for no live births was seen for those in the health and social work industry. Compared with financial and insurance jobs, manufacturing jobs and health/social work were associated with an increased risk for early abortive outcomes (risk ratios, 1.030 and 1.029, respectively). The risk for no live births was consistently higher in the manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade, education, health/social work, and public/social/personal service occupation.

"Our findings highlight the urgent need to assess working conditions to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in female workers," the authors write.

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